You are invited to attend a forum on what community energy means for Benalla, and you, on Friday 3rd August.

New, renewable energies are changing the way we get our energy. We are no longer reliant entirely on power from the big energy generators and companies.We need to make sure that communities benefit from the renewable energy. The Community Energy model gives local towns and regions power over how they generate and consume electricity.Join us at a Community Energy Forum on Friday 3rd August at BPACC and find out what community energy means for you and our region.Locally generated renewable energy will create local jobs, cleaner energy and allow the community to control where their energy comes from. It means that towns can create mini-grids, where residents can trade power between themselves – powered by household solar and battery energy. This reduces reliance on the dirty and expensive national energy grid.A local community energy retailer is currently being developed to allow towns and regions to achieve their renewable energy goals.Come along and listen to some of Australia's foremost experts in the field explain how we can harness this new form of energy to build a new model of energy.Three great speakers will outline what community energy is and how we can benefit from it: Simon Corbell, Victorian Renewable Energy Advocate; Nicky Ison, Co-founder of the Community Power Agency; Alison Rowe, Chief Executive Officer of Moreland Energy Foundation.This is a free event but please RSVP for the Benalla meeting by 3 August at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/benalla-community-energy-forum-tickets-47537010478

Renewable Energy Benalla has a keen interest in utility scale renewable energy developments and contributes as a community networker by learning about and sharing information about renewable energy proposals. REB recently publicised the Lightsource BP Urbis proposed solar installation at Winton. Information was shared about, and some BSFG members attended, a community information event held by Lightsource BP Urbis on June 13 at Winton Raceway. Kristi Jorgensen and her team from Urbis Lightsource BP welcomed visitors warmly to the community information session, sharing pamphlets, answering questions and listening to community feedback on the proposed solar installation.

The informative posters on display in the room have been made available to our website by Urbis for people unable to attend the information session:

Two information sessions held in April brought approximately 150 residents and business owners to BPACC keen to find out more about the Renewable Energy Benalla and Mondo Power battery ready solar bulk buy offer. The sessions were most informative, there were many thought provoking questions from the floor and some misconceptions cleared up - for example, to be part of a microgrid, it's not necessary to be in a grid organised by/with/for neighbours', a micro grid can apply to diverse participants located in Benalla and surrounds.

Mondo Power will be presenting their proposal for a bulk buy of panels, monitoring systems and eventually batteries, and the establishment of microgrids, to the Benalla community in early April. This proposal, if accepted by community members, will lead to increased numbers of PV panels on roofs and has the potential to see the establishment of microgrids in Benalla at a future date.

Action Plans

Small working groups have started to prepare plans to start on the implementation of the three major strategies mentioned above:

Improving energy efficiency of buildings to reduce energy demand and energy bills. This group is planning to conduct a number of sessions based on the Beyond Zero Emissions publication, 'The Energy Freedom Home'.

Investigating suitable roofs for a behind the meter community energy project. Initial focus will be on council owned buildings.

Utility scale - investigating the possibility of a waste to energy project.

Offer of assistance from solar farm developer

FRV Services Australia, a Solar Farm Developer, has approached BSFG/REB to offer assistance.This is part of the community engagement and benefit sharing by renewable energy project developers required by the Victorian government if they wish to be involved in the VRET.Financial support is certainly part of this assistance being offered and there may be other forms of assistance as well.

Indi Energy Action Group

Cathy McGowan, Federal Member for Indi, has established an Indi Energy Action Group to promote and support community energy groups across the electorate of Indi.

Community Energy Retailer

Work is being done to investigate the possibility of establishing a community energy retailer in north-east Victoria. The proposed community energy retailer would be a decentralised energy retailer providing a platform for local communities to achieve community energy goals and access locally generated renewable energy.